Topic ID 1341
Did anyone else loose their terrestrial TV signal sometime after 17.00 last night? Our roof top aerial and also our indoor portable aerial were not picking up any channels on either of our TV's. We live in North Road but I rang my parents who live in Horns mill and they where also having the same problem. Can anyone shed any light on the matter? The signal was fine this morning.
Reply ID 16336
Extra Terestrials are checking out the area for landing sites, leading to "incidents" all over the Hertford area. Raymond Brown is on the case.
Reply ID 16338
My in-laws in Bengeo (proper Ben-jee-o, not lower Ben-jo) lost their terrestrial last night.
Reply ID 16339
Yes we had problems with signal. Loss of Corrie and Eastenders is utter disaster believe me.
Reply ID 16340
Yes. signal absent when I switched on at 7.00pm and did not appear until 10.00pm. Very annoying.[:(!]
Reply ID 16351
Masterchef was received bright and clear in our house. Have noticed we tend to point to a different transmitter than most people down our way.
Reply ID 16354
In Park Road I watched Masterchef and then as I was cooking from about 7pm we had two power surges when the lights dimmed and that knocked out the tv for the rest of the evening (we only have terrestrial). My friend in Townshend Street was OK as he was telling me to watch the programmes about the large man on Channel 4 at 9pm.
Reply ID 16358
My word! What did all of you do in the ensuing silence?[:D][:D][:D] If you need to borrow a good book, just say the word.[:)]
Reply ID 16360
Im so glad someone mentioned it - I was gonna start a row with our landlords! Yep we lost it around 7:30 ish and didnt come back till around 10pm - very annoying missing Eastenders!! We only had to bleedin talk to one another - what a pain! [;)] P.S We live on North Road/St Andrews Street...
Reply ID 16366
My other half will be very glad to know he wasn't the only one to missed Eastenders! He resided him self to bed early as a result and has vowed not to watch it until the omnibus on Sunday. Going with out TV is excellent except for when the males in the house have a play station football tournament that needs to be seen to and my “but I wanted to watch a program and it starts now!” plea wasn’t exactly sure fire! Very annoying! Think I would have rather watched the static on BBC1.[:(!]
Reply ID 16374
Same here - but managed to retune everything on to the "East" TV transmitter so we could see "Life on Mars". Bit grainy though. Nice to know we are not the only people left in England without either cable or a satellite dish. Just Channels 1 to 4 inclusive....
Reply ID 16380
It was the government reminding us that analogue transmissions will be stopped shortly. Or Rupert Murdoch telling us to get a Sky digibox.
Reply ID 16393
Fortunately I had last week's episode of 'Desperate Housewives' on video to watch! I too have only channels 1 to 4, having returned my Freeview box after finding it wouldn't work.
Reply ID 16398
quote:In future, this will be on the hard drive of your Sky Plus digibox only (Special Offer - free installation, only £45 per month). Rupert Murdoch has detected all houses with VCRs and UFOs will be sent around to decommission them within the next fortnight.
Originally posted by Kate
Fortunately I had last week's episode of 'Desperate Housewives' on video to watch!
Reply ID 16399
Terrestrial TV signals and videos??? I know lfe on Mars was on TV last night, but has half of Hertford gone back in time? Make the giant leap for mankind and shell out for Sky plus.
Reply ID 16400
quote:Well it won't if your aerial points at Bengeo!
Originally posted by Kate
I too have only channels 1 to 4, having returned my Freeview box after finding it wouldn't work.
Reply ID 16405
the freeview website says it's not available in Hertford, that's why I went for Sky+ (and now I don't regret it for a second)
Reply ID 16407
Only channels 1 to 4 in my house. Wouldn't have it any other way. Neighbours have the cartoon channel on at 6 in the morning and still on at 6.30 in the evening. uggh.
Reply ID 16410
quote:I realise that now! It was the early days of Freeview, when the BBC were promoting it non-stop without mentioning that some huge proportion of the country (25%?) couldn't receive it. Do feel myself weakening towards some form of additional paid for viewing now.
Originally posted by Stevequote:Well it won't if your aerial points at Bengeo!
Originally posted by Kate
I too have only channels 1 to 4, having returned my Freeview box after finding it wouldn't work.
Reply ID 16413
quote:Get back in your Cave Carlos![8D]
Originally posted by carlos fandango
Only channels 1 to 4 in my house. Wouldn't have it any other way. Neighbours have the cartoon channel on at 6 in the morning and still on at 6.30 in the evening. uggh.
Reply ID 16416
quote:The Freeview website is very hit and miss. Plenty of people in Hertford can get Freeview. My earlier comment regarded the fact that Freeview isn't transmitted from the Bengeo tower (but is from Crystal Palace)
Originally posted by thefair1973
the freeview website says it's not available in Hertford, that's why I went for Sky+ (and now I don't regret it for a second)
Reply ID 16419
Only come out on a full moon...you know that Victor.
Reply ID 16427
Please please forgive me for being a total thicko for what I'm about to ask. If I got Sky+...do I need a dish on the side of the house? Or is there some other way this new fangled technology gets round it.
Reply ID 16433
The dish picks up the signal. I think you can imagine the face I am pulling [:I]
Reply ID 16436
quote:You should be OK if you adjust your TV aerial so that it points at the sky [:D]
Originally posted by Sargasso
Please please forgive me for being a total thicko for what I'm about to ask. If I got Sky+...do I need a dish on the side of the house? Or is there some other way this new fangled technology gets round it.
Reply ID 16443
quote:You are forgiven. With Sky+, you will spend all your time either at a keyboard, like this, or watching something rubbish that you recorded because it was easy to record it and you thought you may as well in case you felt like watching it later and there was nothing else on and now you're watching it whilst recording something else you don't want to miss but can't watch yet because you've recorded last week's episode and haven't watched that one yet and... Bloody Rupert Murdoch.
Originally posted by Sargasso
Please please forgive me for being a total thicko for what I'm about to ask. If I got Sky+...do I need a dish on the side of the house? Or is there some other way this new fangled technology gets round it.
Reply ID 16445
quote:and also from Sandy Heath, then you can watch the parochial wonders of "Look Out East" and reports about cats stuck up trees...
Originally posted by Steve Freeview isn't transmitted from the Bengeo tower (but is from Crystal Palace)
Reply ID 16446
quote:What footy teams do they cover?
Originally posted by Rabbit Rabbitquote:and also from Sandy Heath, then you can watch the parochial wonders of "Look Out East" and reports about cats stuck up trees...
Originally posted by Steve Freeview isn't transmitted from the Bengeo tower (but is from Crystal Palace)
Reply ID 16450
Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge etc. Signal from Sandy Heath is very good on South Side of Ware can occasionally get Freeview BBC1/2 from it in Sele Farm (although my aerial ponts to Crystal Palace)
Reply ID 16471
Okay, last night the pictures on 1-3 (4 okay) had horizontal white lines on and were ghosting (I get these through NTL but they are fed up the coax from the box into the TV as seperate signals - someone seemed to think previously that these were genuine terristrial signals from somewhere). Channels 1-3 on the cable channel seemed fine. Anyone else experience this?
Reply ID 16473
quote:Do they go as far north as Peterborough, or further?
Originally posted by jez_p
Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge etc.
Reply ID 16474
Nope ours was fine last night and we were one of the places to experience the loss of signal completely on Monday evening..
Reply ID 16479
quote:The BBC Engineering FAQs say... "High pressure over the UK is currently causing considerable difficulty to Radio and TV reception to much of the UK. On analogue, typical symptoms are picture and sound break up and possible foreign station breakthrough. On Freeview, some services may break up and disappear altogether for a time. We are very sorry about this condition, but unfortunately it is beyond our control. " Obviously I can't say for sure if this was the problem that you experienced, but if it is OK again now then it may well have been.
Originally posted by newcomer
Okay, last night the pictures on 1-3 (4 okay) had horizontal white lines on and were ghosting ....
Reply ID 16526
is that upper bengeo or lower bengeo gglg
Reply ID 16689
According to the mercury there was a power failure that took out the bengeo transmitter.
Reply ID 16692
So who's responsible for the power failure? and how do we get compensation from them for the 'trauma' of missing an evenings TV, or will we have a hertford baby boom next year? [:D]
Reply ID 16693
Its a conspiracy!! Just the government trying to get us all to go digital! I won't have it! I like my 4 channels, I'm indecisive at the best of times!
Reply ID 16695
Not being technically minded, would any of these things affect radio signals too? My car radio has started making very strange noises when i drive down the Ware Road in the area between Fairfax Road and Raynham Street. Any ideas?
Reply ID 16696
tune it in properly [:D]
Reply ID 16697
This is going to sound wrong but.... I dont drive down the road twiddling my knob so it is tuned in properly.
Reply ID 16699
quote:Believe you me, Bruce Springsteen was right when he sang "57 channels and nothing on". Don't bother with Sky or NTL if you're happy with 4 channels, the rest are nothing to write home about.
Originally posted by m1ckyg
Its a conspiracy!! Just the government trying to get us all to go digital! I won't have it! I like my 4 channels, I'm indecisive at the best of times!
Reply ID 16710
It's interesting people say they only have 4 channels (me too by the way). Does Channel 5 not exist in Hertford?
Reply ID 16713
quote:If you receive your signal from the Bengeo relay then "no". On Terrestrial Analogue TV (ie old fashioned steam-TV before any of this wretched Murdoch generated rubbish from satellite and 'Freeview' digital TV) Channel 5 only broadcasts from the big main transmitting stations, in our area Crystal Palace and Sandy Heath. There weren't enough frequencies available to have Channel 5 at all the 1000 relays up and down the country. And even then the power of Channel 5 is lower than BBC1/2ITV/Ch 4 as otherwise it would start to interfere with other services on the same frequency in different parts of the country. Channel 5 is also available on Sky, Freeview and cable.
Originally posted by carlos fandango
Does Channel 5 not exist in Hertford?
Reply ID 16714
quote:What are you listening to? medium wave or FM?
Originally posted by alison
My car radio has started making very strange noises when i drive down the Ware Road in the area between Fairfax Road and Raynham Street.
Reply ID 16716
FM - probably
Reply ID 16720
quote:Sorry, I meant which station or is it all?
Originally posted by alison
FM - probably
Reply ID 16738
Radio One (have to have my fix of Chris Moyles in the morning)
Reply ID 16747
quote:No great loss then!, thats got to be the worst radio programme ever devised.
Originally posted by alison
Radio One (have to have my fix of Chris Moyles in the morning)
Reply ID 19387
just some knoladge to what happend...Bengeo water tower relays signals from crystal palace transmitter because hertfords in a dip thats why a relay transmitter was put on bengeo water tower so if reseption from london was rubbish you would use bengeo thats why some people could get tv if there aerials point to sandy heath or crystal palace but no one could get tele from bengeo because of power cut...to tell if your aerial is pointing bengeo the rods(elements) are virtical while the other transmitters are horizontal ( this is so it reduces interference with other stations)
Reply ID 19388
quote:Channle 5 is brodcast from croydon not crystal palace and at sandy heath its transmitted at 10kw while 1 to 4 is at 1000kw
Originally posted by Rabbit Rabbitquote:in our area Crystal Palace and Sandy Heath. There weren't enough frequencies available to have Channel 5 at all the 1000 relays up and down the country.
Originally posted by carlos fandango
Does Channel 5 not exist in Hertford?
Reply ID 19389
quote:Well spotted, quite right, it is Croydon. This doesn't make any difference to where the aerials point as from Hertford they are within a very few degrees of both sites. And yes, Sandy Channel 5 is much less power - because of the lack of available frequencies mean that any higher power would start to limit coverage from another transmitter on the same channel.
Originally posted by csproductions [Channle 5 is brodcast from croydon not crystal palace and at sandy heath its transmitted at 10kw while 1 to 4 is at 1000kw
Reply ID 19390
quote:... and the Bengeo (officially called 'Hertford') relay was the first unattended UHF TV relay in the country - hurrah for Hertford, another first for the town! Perhaps the Tourist Board should have it on the list of places to visit?
Originally posted by csproductions
...Bengeo water tower relays signals from crystal palace transmitter
Reply ID 19392
Channel 5 is broadcast from Crystal Palace! (it is broadcast on a digital multiplex for those with freeview)
Reply ID 19397
quote:OK, but in the context of the previous post we were discussing old fashioned analogue... and if you really want to start a pedants revolt, Channel 5 is transmitted from Crystal Palace (Freeview) and Croydon (analogue) - it is broadcast from their playout centre.... [:D]
Originally posted by jez_p
Channel 5 is broadcast from Crystal Palace!
Reply ID 19433
Heres a website which wants to photograph every transmitter in the contry heres the link for hertford transmitter http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/hertford.asp and heres where Hertbeat fm transmittes from http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/hertford.asp
Reply ID 19434
quote:Because Hertfords in a vally, radio signals cant get down into Hertford very easy thats why they put a relay tv station ontop of bengeo water tower so hertford could get a good signal if they couldent from Crystal palace or Sandy Heath but with FM(VHF) radio the wave lengths are much longer so can defract more easy than TV(UHF)thats why fm aerials are much bigger than tv aerials, but radio signals still find it hard to defract...if you are on the south side of hertford e.g near the fire station and along ware road you will find reseption hard to get if they are london radio stations but will get them perfect the closer you get to bengeo. but they couldent put a fm relay because there is not enough frequencys avalable in the hertford aera for that to happen
Originally posted by alison
Not being technically minded, would any of these things affect radio signals too? My car radio has started making very strange noises when i drive down the Ware Road in the area between Fairfax Road and Raynham Street. Any ideas?
Reply ID 19436
Jeez, and you went to Richard Hale? Did you skip the English lessons?
Reply ID 19437
quote:yep i did go to richard hale, i find transmitters intresting and do electics at college now and like to install aerials, at the moment i have a aerial pointing at all 3 tv transmitters and a radio aerial and theres somthing called DXing aswel where if you direct your aerial into the direction e.g to oxford and theres high pressure you will beable to get BBC SOUTH and ITV central regonal news and in some cases can get german tv aswel.
Originally posted by Steve
Jeez, and you went to Richard Hale? Did you skip the English lessons?
Reply ID 19441
Get Sky and you will find that all BBC 1 & ITV regional channels are available, why anyone would want to watch BBC channel Islands is beyond me though!
Reply ID 19443
i know that already but just want to see what channels i can get
Reply ID 19444
You know you're getting old when you can't help cringing at spelling like this...
quote:...but, I have to admire his interest in aerials. [:)]
Because Hertfords in a vally, radio signals cant get down into Hertford very easy thats why they put a relay tv station ontop of bengeo water tower so hertford could get a good signal if they couldent from Crystal palace or Sandy Heath but with FM(VHF) radio the wave lengths are much longer so can defract more easy than TV(UHF)thats why fm aerials are much bigger than tv aerials, but radio signals still find it hard to defract...if you are on the south side of hertford e.g near the fire station and along ware road you will find reseption hard to get if they are london radio stations but will get them perfect the closer you get to bengeo. but they couldent put a fm relay because there is not enough frequencys avalable in the hertford aera for that to happen
Reply ID 19447
quote:And to think I'm wasting my time on Hertford.net when there's riveting stuff like that on the web! There was a picture of a transmitter aerial, and then I clicked again and guess what - another one! Oh - and there's another shot of an aerial as well - and another aer- oh well, you get the idea. Mind you - they need to update it. The reference to Herts TV is a tad out of date. Ah, Herts TV - they don't make programmes like that anymore...
Heres a website which wants to photograph every transmitter in the contry heres the link for hertford transmitter http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/hertford.asp
Reply ID 19452
quote:
Originally posted by alison Not being technically minded, would any of these things affect radio signals too? My car radio has started making very strange noises when i drive down the Ware Road in the area between Fairfax Road and Raynham Street. Any ideas?
quote:Whilst csproductions is well onto "an answer", it isn't the one for Alison's specific question - I remember reading it and checked along Ware Road - there was a awful lot of interference along about 200 metres of Ware Road which wiped out reception of Radio 1 (only). A few days later I walked along Ware Road with a portable aerial looking for the source of the interference and it had gone. What I should have done was post back a reply to Alison but it slipped past as things do....
Originally posted by csproductions Because Hertfords in a vally,............. etc etc
Reply ID 19453
quote:You're right - I'll email the person who runs the website and tell him. Great site, lots of information, I often look at things on it. There is also an email group of like minded people who take the pictures, wonderful bunch. Is it just me?
Originally posted by Leo Densian Mind you - they need to update it. The reference to Herts TV is a tad out of date.
Reply ID 19454
quote:Good for you - I went to Richard Hale as well (though when I started it was called Hertford Grammer), was interested in aerials and transmitters and electronics etc and have now been working in that area for the over 30 years. My parents were concerned that I was spending to much time fiddling with radios but at a parents evening the Physics master (one "Porky" Bennett who I am sure many will remember) told them not to worry, I would make a career out of it - which I did. However, all engineers have an awful reputation for poor writing and spelling - if you want to get your head above the rest you do need to be able to write properly. Sorry, sad fact though. Keep up the Dxing..
Originally posted by csproductions yep i did go to richard hale, i find transmitters intresting and do electics at college now and like to install aerials, etc etc
Reply ID 19455
quote:... and STILL you can't spell GRAMMAR [:D]
Originally posted by Rabbit Rabbit
when I started it was called Hertford Grammer
Reply ID 19457
quote:Everything I can hang in shame is hung in shame....
Originally posted by Stevequote:... and STILL you can't spell GRAMMAR [:D]
Originally posted by Rabbit Rabbit
when I started it was called Hertford Grammer
Reply ID 19486
quote:Sorry to go off topic but, he's dyslexic
Originally posted by Steve
Jeez, and you went to Richard Hale? Did you skip the English lessons?